As Lucas takes a trip to Hollywood to meet his film director, Nathan gets a pro basketball try-out. Peyton struggles with Mia to focus on her follow-up album, while Millicent confronts Marvin about Gigi. Julian approaches a dubious Brooke about designing clothes for his movie, and Haley takes a reluctant Jamie to his school talent show.

Haley returns to the stage much to Miranda's annoyance but the gig turns out to be a success and changes Miranda's attitude somewhat. Brooke believes she might be pregnant but is conflicted on how Julian will take the news - but the test proves negative. Julian finishes the script with Alex and heads out to be with Brooke at Haley's gig but gets a call from Alex telling him she's close to taking cocaine again so he goes to her much to Brooke's annoyance. Rachel and Dan arrive back in Tree Hill but his hoped reconciliation with Nathan doesn't materialize. But Dan isn't going anywhere. Mouth meets Rachel and tells her to try and reconcile her differences with Brooke but Brooke isn't having it. Mouth and Brooke are both concerned and angry with Millicent who's desperation to be liked by the public is putting her in a downward spiral. Elsewhere, Clay's hardball tactics with the Charlotte Bobcats and Nathan's contract fail when they sign another player to fill Nathan's spot. What will Nathan do now?

Flashback to the '80s.

Haley and Quinn refuse to accept that their mom Lydia will not fight her pancreatic cancer and after some convincing manages to persuade her mother to get a second opinion with Nathan's doctor but the results don't bring any change. Because she told Jamie that she won't be alive for Christmas he organizes for her to have Christmas now with the family. Meanwhile, Brooke and Julian's relationship moves up a notch but comes crashing down spectacularly when Brooke finds Alex in his bed but is it what it seems? Elsewhere, Grubbs puts Miranda through hoops before he allows her to produce his album with her and Owen Morello comes back into Millie's life much to Mouth's displeasure.

In getting back at Julian for sleeping with Alex, Brooke messes with the costumes for the shoot and generally does her best to wound Julian but it takes comments from Alex to get her thrown off the set after she punches Alex in the face. Only later does she discover that it was Alexander that Alex slept with as she switched rooms with Julian. She tells Victoria who is furious and it later transpires that her mystery lover is Alexander. Meanwhile, Lydia takes ill from her cancer and is hospitalized and reaches out to the daughter Taylor but it is Quinn who manages to get her to come before she dies. Elsewhere, Clay tells Katie he won't be representing her but it doesn't put off Katie and she finds out that he was married to Sara so she transforms herself to look like her. Lauren and Mouth nearly get it together only for Skills to come back to Tree Hill.

As the gang returns from Utah, Brooke and Julian are engaged, Haley learns that she is pregnant, Nathan must leave for training camp, and Clay and Quinn are assaulted and shot by Katie.

Clay and Quinn discover they've been shot, and as they fight to live, Nathan and Haley struggle with the situation. Meanwhile, Julian tries to preoccupy Jamie, and Brooke's legal troubles mount.

As Brooke deals with the mounting financial troubles at Clothes Over Bro's, Nathan and Haley come to a conclusion regarding Nathan's career. Meanwhile, Julian begins a new film project, while Alex and Chase spend the afternoon together.

As Halloween approaches in Tree Hill, Brooke and Julian get an unexpected visitor, and Nathan begins a new career. Meanwhile, Clay and Quinn struggle with life back at the beach house, and Haley and Mia host an open mic night at Tric.

Nathan is furious when his first mission as Clay's junior agent seems to go wrong because of his lack of jargon knowledge, but he actually lands the football client. Julian accepts Alex's suggestion to assemble all potential best men for a friendly poker night, but the mood is murderous. Chase gets abused by everyone. It's Brooke's turn to be bullied by Julian's bossy ma who pushes for a traditional wedding at a brides fair, where Haley - blaming pregnancy hormones - sides with the enemy every time.

Nathan goes back to college and opts to take a harder class but he doesn't get a very welcome reception from his college professor and so with Jamie's help they figure out a way for Nathan to do better at college. Haley and Mia book Erin as warm-up act to Kid Cudi at Tric with both Mia and Alex acting as competing bar staff. Elsewhere, Quinn looks up Dan Scott and enlists his help to kill Katie Ryan but he manages to talk her out of it but she may regret her decision as Katie heads back to Tree Hill. Julian finds a list belonging to Brooke of things she's always wanted to do but never got around to so he sets about making them all come through so that she gets her lost inspiration back.

As Haley's due date approaches, she takes steps to ensure that all her friends and family will be ready when the time comes. Brooke and Julian also prepare to begin a family, while Chuck turns to Chase for help with a problem.

Julian is even more shattered than Brooke, who gives him the silent treatment, over having forgotten baby son Davis in his car. Although the boy is alright, Brooke leaves with the twins until Haley talks sense into her. Drunk, Chase enjoyed a wild night with a shameless flirtster but shyly wriggles out of continuation in the morning, on account of Alex's memory, only to find her with Chris Keller the next day. Dan and Jamie enjoy camping but dreaded Nathan's return is likely to mean grandpa's exit. After Dan scares away Clay's dealer, he comes clean to Quinn and consults Dr. Alvarez, who promises recovery but only after residential therapy.

Julian finally sells his One Tree Hill series concept to a studio and is hired to complete the script. Clayton and Quinn, who welcomes Sara's memory to, patiently win Logan's trust to become a warm; close family. Chase gets over his confidence crisis as bar manager just before he's offered a chance to buy Tric from Karen on the boat burning day. After Julian scolds father-in-law a useless father and Brooke 'surprises' her divorced parents back in bed, an unexpected business move makes up for a lot.